Which GM Execs Made The 2015 Motor Trend Power List?

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The 2015 Motor Trend Power List is out, showing us the top 50 “leaders, thinkers, and agitators” that shape the global auto industry. For fans of the General, five executives made the list:

27. Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac President
2014 has been a year of ups and downs for Cadillac. Despite strong products, sales have been down. Will de Nysschen’s approach − moving to NYC among them − be what it takes for Cadillac to get where it needs to be? Perhaps, but according to MT, first he needs to address some other things: including the pricey ELR, seeing that the new CT6 flagship launches without fail, and the cheesy alphanumeric names.

19. Ed Welburn, General Motors Vice President of Global Design
Welburn’s recent efforts have been hits, even if the Corvette was polarizing to some. But the Colorado is poised to be a home run, having recently won MT‘s Truck of the Year award, and GM’s interiors are noticeably improved (especially the Corvette’s), so Welburn’s design management deserves recognition for how GM presents itself to the world.

2. Mary Barra, General Motors CEO
She started her job defending GM in front of the government, but her “upfront and honest approach has been refreshing” in a world where no one wants to admit his or her mistakes. That was the impetus of the transformation of GM’s corporate culture. All through this mess, GM has maintained its sales momentum, not to mention has produced some stellar models. While the ignition switch issue is far from dead, it is not the product distraction that some folks feared.